This Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts is super simple, fresh, and delicious. You'll love the nutty flavor of the walnuts paired with sweet apples and the tangy dressing. If you want, you can upgrade it even more with goat cheese and bacon crumbles!
Why You'll This Red Cabbage Slaw with Apples
"This is re-creation of a salad I ate in Copenhagen on a trip a few years back. It's like a Scandinavian-style red cabbage slaw but with a little tang from the mustard and vinegar balanced with the nuttiness of the walnuts and sweetness of the apple. Delish."
If you want more red cabbage recipes be sure to make Roasted Red Cabbage Recipe, pickled red cabbage, and Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts. And finally, a must-make soup: Apple, Bratwurst, and Red Cabbage Soup! 🙂
Fresh and Flavorful
This salad has wonderful flavors that complement one another for a perfectly balanced bite! The dressing is tangy, the apples are sweet, and the walnuts are toasted and crunchy—it's also beautiful to look at!
Super Simple
This recipe has three easy steps! Toast your walnuts, make your dressing and then toss all ingredients together. That's it! Super simple red cabbage slaw, delicious and sure to impress.
Healthy
This salad is plant-based, low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and Whole30. This salad is versatile and can be served in many ways! Scroll to the How-to-Serve section for additional ideas.
What You'll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need to make red cabbage salad:
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey
- Apple Cider Vinegar - apple cider vinegar is preferred in this salad as it pairs well with the fresh apple. A white wine vinegar would also work well.
- Walnut Oil - walnut oil has the most delicious flavor and can be found at most grocery stores.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Walnuts - use raw unsalted walnuts.
- Red Cabbage - using red cabbage is so colorful. It is also pretty to use half red cabbage and green cabbage too.
- Braeburn Apples - you can use a different kind of sweet apple if you choose.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to this recipe:
- Use glazed sweetened walnuts if preferred.
- If you prefer, you can substitute walnuts for pecans. However, toast them ahead of time to help bring out the sweetness of the pecans.
- Use green cabbage and shredded carrot if desired.
- The dressing's ingredients are very versatile! Use your favorite mustard, type of oil, and amount of seasoning.
- If you prefer not to use honey, use brown sugar or a brown sugar substitute. Use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in place of the honey and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Mix in the dressing until dissolved.
How To Make Red Cabbage Salad
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this salad recipe. Please check out the printable recipe card for full details.
Toast Walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove them from the pan and cool on a cutting board. Once cooled, chop them.
Make The Dressing
Mix all the salad ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
Toss The Salad
In a large salad bowl, add your cabbage, apples, and toasted walnuts. Toss with the dressing and then serve immediately.
How To Serve It
Here are a few ways to serve red cabbage salad:
- This cabbage salad is a Scandinavian-inspired meal idea! Serve it alongside Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs) and canned (drained) baby potatoes browned in butter with a little brown sugar.
- Top your salad with some smoked bacon crumbles, crumbled feta, goat cheese crumbles, or blue cheese!
- Garnish with sliced green onion or thinly sliced red onion.
- This would be delicious served alongside this Fall Apart Eye of Round Roast, Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, or Cordon Bleu Stuffed Pork Loin.
Kori's Tips
- Time-saving tip: Mix the salad dressing, toast the walnuts, and shred the cabbage beforehand.
- Be sure to cut your apples right before serving the salad. Once cut, the apples will start to brown, so it's best to serve them immediately.
- This salad is best served immediately. However, you can halve the recipe or assemble only half.
Can I ask you a favor?
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📖 The recipe.
Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
- ½ cup walnuts
- 12 ounces red cabbage (shredded)
- 2 medium braeburn apples (cored and cut into thin wedges)
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the walnuts, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and chop. Remove from pan and cool.
- Mix all salad ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
- In a large salad bowl add cabbage, apples, and toasted walnuts. Toss with salad dressing and serve.
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Add cooked and crumbled smoked bacon and blue cheese or goat cheese crumbles. Top with sliced green onions.
- TOP TIPS: Adjust any seasoning or ingredient to taste. For quick assembly shred cabbage, toast walnuts, and make the dressing in advance. Wait to cut apples right before serving or they will turn brown.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve immediately. This salad can easily be halved if you won't be eating it all in one meal.
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
More Salad Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious salad recipes, be sure to check these out:
- Italian Roasted Cabbage Slices
- Air Fryer Cabbage
- Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Layered Salad (Layered Overnight Salad)
- Best Greek Salad Recipe
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Recipe
- Cold Broccoli Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad with Burrata
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Roasted Beet Salad with Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette
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